Existing law, the Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act, defines and regulates consumer credit reports and consumer credit reporting agencies. Existing law regulates the treatment of medical debt in this regard by, among other things, prohibiting a consumer credit reporting agency from making any consumer credit report containing medical debt information, prohibiting a person who uses a consumer credit report in connection with a credit transaction from using medical debt as a negative factor when making a credit decision, and prohibiting a person from furnishing information regarding a medical debt to a consumer credit reporting agency. Existing law makes a violation of certain provisions related to medical debt by a person holding a license or permit issued by the state to be deemed a violation of the law governing that license or permit.

Existing law, the Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act, defines and regulates investigative consumer reports and investigative consumer reporting agencies. Existing law prohibits an investigative consumer reporting agency from making or furnishing any investigative consumer report containing specified items of information, including medical debt.

Existing law defines “medical debt” for the purposes of the Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies Act and the Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act as a debt owed by a consumer to a person whose primary business is providing medical services, products, or devices, or to the person’s agent or assignee, for the provision of medical services, products, or devices, as specified.